Diaphragm pumps are used to provide motive force to consumer products in a fluid state such as some foods, beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and the like. Diaphragm pumps provide several advantages over rotary or centrifugal pumps, namely strong suction, the ability to move highly-viscous fluids or fluids with suspended particulates, and the ability to move fragile or delicate products. Since it is generally desirable to sequentially use a single diaphragm pump for more than one fluid product, the pump and associated systems must be cleaned prior to introducing each new product into the system to prevent product mixing. For example, if a diaphragm pump is used to move a shampoo product, it must be cleaned after completion of the shampoo movement and before subsequent use to move a conditioner product so that residual shampoo in the pump does not mix with the conditioner.
Cleaning of the diaphragm pump and associated systems presents several problems. First, cleaning is often time- and labor-intensive, as personnel with knowledge of the pump and system are generally required to break apart various components to clean them. Second, it is desirable—but difficult—to perform the cleaning in a manner that ensures sufficiently thorough cleaning. For some consumer products, even a small amount of mixing with a prior-introduced product would render the latter-introduced product unusable. Third, and perhaps most importantly, the cleaning steps generally use water to remove fluid products from the pump and system, and this water can become trapped in low points in the pump and system. Trapped cleaning water then either mixes with the latter-introduced product or, worse, creates an environment which is ripe for bacterial growth.